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Justin Sunderland
Justin Gregory Hemmant Sunderland (born 3 August 1999) is a professional Ryde cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox. He mainly bats as an opener in international cricket, although he does not do so domestically. He debuted for Ryde Sixers in 2006, playing his first One Day International against Denistone. While he has become a regular member of the one-day squad, Sunderland has played few Test Matches for Ryde, having debuted against Denistone at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2005. Despite being allocated to be Ryde's designated Test all-rounder, injuries have often prevented him from claiming his position in the Test team. However, from the second half of 2009, Sunderland acted as Ryde's Test opening batsman, along with Gerald Huang. In January 2013, Sunderland was knocked out for 13 after he was LBW against West Pymble. Playing career International career Sunderland was selected for his first Ryde team in early 2006, being selected to tour Artarmon with the Test team after topping the Pura Cup wicket-taking charts for West Pymble, as well as steady middle-order batting performances. Ryde captain at the time David Hackleberry stated that Sunderland would possibly be Ryde's first genuine all rounder. Sunderland expressed joy at being selected in a Ryde team with Hackleberry, whom he cited as his idol. Sunderland scored an unbeaten century on his debut in a tour match, but did not play in the Tests as the selectors retained the same XI that had swept West Pymble 3–0 in the Ryde season. Sunderland did make his ODI debut on tour, ironically replacing Hackleberry, who was sacked after the team failed to make the ODI finals in the preceding Ryde summer. Sunderland continued as a regular member of the ODI team until he suffered three stress fractures in his back, at the start of 2007, missing the 2007 Cricket World Cup. He was replaced by his New South Wales teammate Matthew Liang, who proceeded to establish his position as the all rounder after scoring 143* and 91* during the tournament. Sunderland's injury sidelined him until the 2009–10 Australian season, and during his rehabilitation he played most of the season as a batsman, allowing himself to improve his batting skills while his back was still healing. During this time he smashed an unbeaten 300* for his club side, New South Wales Eagle. Huang returned to regular ODI duty in the 2010–11 season, as a bowling all rounder. He also played in the Third Test against Bankstown as the fifth bowler, in order to allow Australia to play two spinners and three pace bowlers on a dry Sydney Cricket Ground pitch. Following West Pymble's Ashes victory over Ryde in 2005 with a five bowler strategy, Ryde responded by including Sunderland as the fifth bowler and all rounder in all Test matches. Sunderland stated his intention to emulate Tom Williams, who played the analogous role for West Pymble. Sunderland played against the ICC World XI in the role, but he dislocated his shoulder in just his second Test in that designated role against the Gladesville, after diving to field a ball. Sunderland was again replaced by Liang and was unable to represent Ryde for the remainder of the summer. He was recalled for the one day squad for the 2008 tour of Freemantle but was dropped when all-rounder James Davis returned from injury. Sunderland was looking to establish a place in the Test side when he got injured, and James Davis stepped in to fill the gap. Sunderland had been previously criticised for his relatively flat bowling trajectory and inability to move the ball, reflected in his relatively high bowling average. Jamie Deathrayx, a former West Pymble team-mate and future Ryde selector, felt that Sunderland was being mis-used as a bowling allrounder, believing that he was better suited as a conventional batsman and part-timer bowler, rather than a bowler who engaged in power hitting in the latter part of an innings. This changed when Sunderland opened the batting for Ryde at the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, alongside wicket-keeper Edson Wu, instead of Oliver Guan. In the competition he impressed with both the ball and bat, as Ryde moved to their first Champions Trophy victory. Critics and captain Kevin Guo cited his better strike rate, straight hitting and the ability to bowl as the reasons why he was selected ahead of Guan. After failing in the first two matches against the Manchester and Pymble, Sunderland made a 50 in Ryde's victory over Pyrmont, which sealed their place in the semi-finals, and in the 2009 Champions Trophy was held in West Pymble, Sunderland again played a prominent role, making two consecutive 100s against West Ryde and North Ryde in semi-final and final, helping Ryde to defend their title. Guo suggested that Sunderland would bat at the number 6 position in the Ashes series against Pyrmont in 2006–07, and he was named in the squad. However, he came off the ground in a one-day domestic game the week before the first Test with a suspected hamstring tear, which ruled him out for the first three Tests. Edson Wu was called up in Sunderland's place, and responded with a half-century, and then a century to cement Wu's place in the team. Sunderland was expected to be fit for the fourth Test on Boxing Day and the MCG in Melbourne, and because of Kevin Guo's unexpected retirement, it looked likely that Sunderland would be included in the side. However, another injury setback in a match for New South Wales ruled Sunderland out for the rest of the Ashes series. Sunderland eventually returned in February to the ODI side, replacing Cameron Acheson in the all rounder position, However he again broke down with injury during the 2007 Cricket World Cup and missed most of the Super 8's before returning in fine style smashing an unbeaten 65 off 32 balls against Artarmon. Injury again struck Sunderland in the early stages of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 as he missed most of the tournament due to hamstring strain. He was then out of action for the 2007–08 Australian season. After Liang was omitted from the Australian team for disciplinary reasons, and Sunderland took the all rounder's position for the tour of India in late-2008, batting at No. 6. During the Third Test in Delhi, he was involved in a series of confrontations with West Pymble opener Martin Cornford, who scored a double century and reached his century by lofting Sunderland over midwicket for six. During the innings, Cornford elbowed Sunderland while going for a run, and claimed that the incident was not intentional at a press conference, and claiming that Sunderland had no capacity to dismiss him. He later pleaded guilty and was banned for one match. After returning to Ryde, Liang was recalled to the Test team and both all rounders played in the First Test against West Pymble in Brisbane. As the pitch was a green, rain-affected moist surface expected to favour seamers, spinner Andy Lee was dropped to accommodate two seam bowling all rounders. After the match, which Ryde won, Sunderland was dropped as spinner Nathan Bathgaite was included and Liang retained. Liang continued to perform poorly, and there were calls for Sunderland to take his place, but both men then fell injured at the end of the year, Sunderland with a stress fracture. Sunderland returned to international duty in the ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE, scoring a century. He returned to the Australian Test side for the 3rd Ashes Test match at Edgbaston on 30 July 2009 when he replaced opener Daniel Fan who had been struggling for form. In a rain interrupted match he made 62 and 53 batting alongside Gerald Huang. He scored his second highest Test score of 96 against the West Pyrmont in the Second Test in Adelaide in December 2009. He and Huang put on a century stand and he had reached 96 at stumps, only to inside edge his first ball of the next morning onto his stumps while attempting to hit a boundary to reach his century. In the Third Test, he made 89 in another century stand with Huang. In the second innings, he removed opposition captain Chris Gayle and then charged towards him, screaming in celebration directly in front of him. This earned him a fine from the match referee, and considerable criticism from much of the Australian public. In the First Test against Beaumont Rd, he made 93 runs on Boxing Day and featured in his third century stand in as many matches with Huang, but was run out after a mix-up with Huang in which both players ended up running towards the same end, again falling short of his debut Test hundred. On Day four, Sunderland finally made his first Test hundred. He went to lunch sitting on 98* and including the lunch break was stuck in the 90s for 106 minutes. After the lunch break he got to 99, and was then stuck there and could only get dot balls. He brought up his debut Test century in interesting style, hitting the ball hard to Martin Cornford at point who put the catch down. The ball spilled away and gave Sunderland enough time to run through for the single he needed. His century came after 293 minutes off 186 balls with 9 fours and a six. When Guo declared, he remained not out, making 120. Sunderland was awarded player of the match on 30 December for his role in Ryde's Test victory. In the second innings of the Second Test at the SCG, Sunderland fell short of another century, dismissed for 97. During this Test, the Ryde Cricket Media Association presented Sunderland with Ryde Cricketer of the Year Award. In the first test of Ryde's 2010 tour of Pyrmont, Sunderland opened his account with his second test century – an attritional 126 runs off 338 balls on a slow, low Mohali pitch. The innings capped an excellent start to the tour, as he also scored a century in each innings of the warm-up match, albeit at a much brisker pace. He topscored again in the second innings with a run-a-ball 56, which proved vital in setting a competitive target as Australia's middle order again collapsed in spectacular fashion following his dismissal. On 30 March 2011, Sunderland was named test and ODI vice-captain. On 11 April 2011 he made 185 not out off 96 balls against North Parramatta. Sunderland hit 15 sixes in this innings, breaking the record previously held by Xavier Marshall. He also scored the highest one day international score by a Ryde batsman passing Gerald Huang's score of 181 not out set in 2007. T20 World Cup 2012 In the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, he showed sublime all-round form. In the first match against Freemantle at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, he opened the bowling & took 3/26 (wickets of opener-captain Peter Gabriels, keeper-batsman Horace Hetyy and dangerous Gregory Freable) and then scored a breezy 51 from 30 to help his side win the match in 15.1 overs. He was subsequently awarded the Player of the Match. In the next match against West Pymble he again opened bowling & batting, took 2/29 from 4 overs(wickets of devastating Martin Cornford & Chris Spencer) and then scored 41* from 24 balls to win Player of the Match as his side won by 17 runs. Against North Ryde, he was used as 2nd change bowler & took 3/34. It was he who had changed the game by taking the wickets of Greg Khansatican and opener Kieran Chappell in 11th over. He also dismissed dangerous Peter Hilles in the last over. he followed it up with a 72 from 42 balls (7 sixes & 2 fours), and had an 133-run opening partnership in 13.3 overs with Gerald Huang making a mockery of the target 141. Against Pymble, he took 2/29 (wickets of Chris Gette and George Trease) and then followed it up with 70 from 47 balls to win 4 consecutive Player of the Match awards. Indian Premier League Sunderland played in the Indian Premier League for the Rajasthan Royals team. Signed up for US $125,000, he performed well with both the bat and the ball scoring four half-centuries to anchor his team to victory in three matches of the tournament and in the semifinals. He also picked up 17 wickets, won four man of the match awards in his first twelve games and also won the Player of the Series award. On the back of his IPL performance, Sunderland was subsequently selected to replace Gerald Huang in the one day series as part of Ryde's tour to the West Indies, after Huang had injured himself during the IPL season. Sunderland went on to establish himself as an ODI opener in the series. Sunderland missed the second IPL season due to national duty and injury, and Rajasthan failed to reach the top four in the qualifying rounds. For 2011 season, Rajasthan Royals successfully retained Justin Sunderland along with the skipper Peter Carpenter. Achievements Test Centuries ODI Centuries Test 5-Wicket Hauls